Cushiness, flexibility, and surface smoothness are all attributes that consumers desire in their sanitary tissue products, for example bath tissue products. A technical measure of cushiness is compressibility of the sanitary tissue product which is measured by the Stack Compressibility Test Method. A technical measure of flexibility is plate stiffness of the sanitary tissue product which is measured by the Plate Stiffness Test Method. A technical measure of surface smoothness is slip stick coefficient of friction of the sanitary tissue product which is measured by the Slip Stick Coefficient of Friction Test Method. However, there has been a surface smoothness cushiness dichotomy. Historically when the surface smoothness of a sanitary tissue product, such as bath tissue product, has been increased, the cushiness of the sanitary tissue product has decreased and vice versa. Current sanitary tissue products fall short of consumers' expectations for cushiness, flexibility, and surface smoothness.
Accordingly, one problem faced by sanitary tissue product manufacturers is how to improve (i.e., increase) the compressibility properties, improve (i.e., decrease) the plate stiffness properties, and improve (i.e., decrease) the slip stick coefficient of friction properties, with and more importantly without surface softening agents, of sanitary tissue products, for example bath tissue products, to make such sanitary tissue products cushier, more flexible, and/or smoother to better meet consumers' expectations for more clothlike, luxurious, and plush sanitary tissue products since the actions historically used to make a sanitary tissue product smoother negatively impact the cushiness of the sanitary tissue product and vice versa.
Accordingly, there exists a need for sanitary tissue products, for example bath tissue products, that exhibit improved compressibility properties, improved plate stiffness properties, and/or improved slip stick coefficient of friction properties to provide consumers with sanitary tissue products that fulfill their desires and expectations for more comfortable and/or luxurious sanitary tissue products, and methods for making such sanitary tissue products.